AN ACT
to authorize criminal background reviews for current and future EMS personnel.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. G.S. 131E-159 is amended by
adding a new subsection to read:

"(g)An
individual who applies for EMS credentials, seeks to renew EMS credentials, or
holds EMS credentials is subject to a criminal background review by the
Department. At the request of the Department, the Emergency Medical Services
Disciplinary Committee, established by G.S. 143-519, shall review criminal
background information and make a recommendation regarding the eligibility of
an individual to obtain initial EMS credentials, renew EMS credentials, or
maintain EMS credentials. The Department and the Emergency Medical Services
Disciplinary Committee shall keep all information obtained pursuant to this
subsection confidential. The Medical Care Commission shall adopt rules to
implement the provisions of this subsection, including rules to establish a
reasonable fee to offset the actual costs of criminal history information
obtained pursuant to G.S. 114-19.21."

SECTION 2. Chapter 114 of the General
Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

"§ 114-19.21.
Criminal record checks of EMS personnel.

The Department of Justice may provide to the Department of
Health and Human Services the criminal history from the State and National
Repositories of Criminal Histories of an individual who applies for EMS
credentials, seeks to renew EMS credentials, or holds EMS credentials, when the
criminal history is requested by the Department. The Department of Health and
Human Services shall provide to the Department of Justice the request for the
criminal history, the fingerprints of the individual to be checked, any
additional information required by the Department of Justice, and a form
consenting to the check of the criminal record and to the use of fingerprints
and other identifying information required by the State or National
Repositories signed by the individual to be checked. The Department of Health
and Human Services and Emergency Medical Services Disciplinary Committee,
established by G.S. 143-519, shall keep all information obtained pursuant
to this section confidential. The Department of Justice shall charge a
reasonable fee to offset the costs incurred by it to conduct the checks of
criminal history records authorized by this section."

SECTION 3. G.S. 143-519(a) reads as
rewritten:

"(a) There is created an
the Emergency Medical Services Disciplinary Committee whichCommittee.
The Committee shall review and make recommendations to the Department
regarding all disciplinary matters relating to credentialing of emergency
medical services personnel. At the request of the Department, the Committee
shall review criminal background information and make a recommendation
regarding the eligibility of an individual to obtain initial EMS credentials,
renew EMS credentials, or maintain EMS credentials."

SECTION 4.
This act becomes effective October 1, 2007.

In the General Assembly read
three times and ratified this the 1st day of August, 2007.

_____________________________________

Beverly E. Perdue

President of the Senate

_____________________________________

Joe Hackney

Speaker of the House of Representatives

_____________________________________

Michael F. Easley

Governor

Approved __________.m. this
______________ day of ___________________, 2007